Out in Front: December 7, 1995

A new chip set from Applied Micro Circuits Corp performs high-speed serial data transmission over fiber-optic or coaxial-cable interfaces. The set comprises the S2042 and S2043 chips and complies with the ANSI X3T11 Fibre Channel 10-bit interface specification works in Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) configurations.

The chip set features a 10- or 20-bit, parallel, TTL-compatible interface, 1W typical power dissipation at 3.3V, and a 52-pin, 10 X 10-mil PQFP. The chip set lets you select a 1062.5-, 265.625-, or 531.25-Mbps data rates with associated 10- or 20-bit data word. It performs parallel-to-serial and serial-to-parallel conversion and framing for block-encoded data.

The S2042 transmitter’s on-chip PLL synthesizes the high-speed clock from a low-speed reference. On the receiving side, the S2043 receiver’s on-chip PLL synchronizes with the incoming digital signals to receive the data stream. The transmitter and receiver each support differential positive-ECL-compatible I/O for fiber-optic component interfaces to minimize crosstalk and maximize data integrity. Local loop-back allows for system diagnostics. The I/O section can operate from a 3.3 or 5V power supply. The chip set costs $38 (1000). -- by John Gallant

Advanced Micro Circuits Corp, San Diego, CA. (800) 755-2622.